Francesc 'Tito' Vilanova: The Disciple

Tito has allegedly reached terms with Barca for a 2 year contract. The contract will be signed next Friday and there will be a press conference immediately after that at 13:00 CET.

There you go. Already a change from Pep's style by signing a 2 year contract whereas Pep preferred one year ones.

Really looking forward to see a change in the tactics also.

Tito says that Barca are not looking afor a stirker but for a left back and centre back. Tito

Btw, I've wanted to say this for a while. I feel Tito's role as assistant manager was seriously underrated. I think it was clear he had a very big influence on our success and was more involved than the standard assistant. Pep often acknowledged it, and so did the club in presentations. They were often presented as our 2 coaches.

You could always see Pep consulting Tito, and its clear he had a lot to do with our tactics, the way Pep developed our style etc.

Pep was clearly a charismatic 'philosopher' and very lovable. Tito seems more introverted, but I have a soft spot for this. He is humble, intelligent and I think he'll do a good job.

One thing I thought that Pep was brilliant at was discipline, and that will be Tito's biggest test. Rijkaard's biggest problem is that he was 'too nice a guy'. This has been said often. Pep was the perfect disciplinarian, nobody would cross him, but everybody respected and loved him. Tito's got to make sure these guys know who is boss.

BarcaKizz wrote:Btw, I've wanted to say this for a while. I feel Tito's role as assistant manager was seriously underrated. I think it was clear he had a very big influence on our success and was more involved than the standard assistant. Pep often acknowledged it, and so did the club in presentations. They were often presented as our 2 coaches.

You could always see Pep consulting Tito, and its clear he had a lot to do with our tactics, the way Pep developed our style etc.

Pep was clearly a charismatic 'philosopher' and very lovable. Tito seems more introverted, but I have a soft spot for this. He is humble, intelligent and I think he'll do a good job.

One thing I thought that Pep was brilliant at was discipline, and that will be Tito's biggest test. Rijkaard's biggest problem is that he was 'too nice a guy'. This has been said often. Pep was the perfect disciplinarian, nobody would cross him, but everybody respected and loved him. Tito's got to make sure these guys know who is boss.

Well observed and that is exactly how I feel about the situation. Fortunate for him, the group of players he is dealing with do not cause problems in the dressing room but a few losses and bad displays and he can get in trouble. However, I think his main test will be to challenge the players who have won it all. He needs to stay strong.

Good luck with Tito . I hope he stays true to your game and style before anything . I do not think there's any doubt , just saying .

I think a good test as a coach will be the SuperCopa. If he can win it there then we can see good signs for the rest of the season. His first day as an official Barcelona coach. I wonder what he did....

SuperCopa has a lot more to do with player's level of physical form than a coach's ability, imo. Last year our players were so out of shape Rosell believed we were going to lose.

We should of lost that game, physically we were nowhere near ready.

But I guess, better team, coach and players make up for that.

The preseason for 2012/13 has just begun for the first team of Barça. Tito Vilanova takes the reins at the helm of Barcelona from departing head coach Guardiola. We all know Tito as for the last four years he was present as an assistant on the first team’s bench. Since his appointment, Tito Vilanova has carefully chosen his assistants and co-workers. Below is an introduction to Tito’s staff, with some familiar faces, and some new.

Jordi Roura, assistant manager

Roura arrived at La Masia in the early 80s. He made his debut with the first team of FC Barcelona under Johan Cruyff in 1988, but a serious injury to his right knee in the European Super Cup against Milan in 1989 impeded his growth as a footballer. He continued his football career in Murcia and Figueres in 1991. Due to his physical problems, he decided on early retirement. His first steps as a manager were with Yokohama Flugel, along with Carles Rexach, and Terrassa, as Jordi Vinyals’ assistant. In 2009 he was part of the team of observers in Pep Guardiola’s technical staff. For the past three years Roura has had the charge of analysing Barça’s rivals.

Aureli Altimira, physical trainer

Altimira played alongside Tito and Roura at Figueres, where they managed to get the team into Spain’s first division for the first time in its history. After that, he played at Malaga and other teams in Catalunya. He’s been a fitness coach for the entire Pep era.


Àlex Garcia, Edu Pons, José Ramon de la Fuente and Yon Álvarez

Àlex Garcia, technical analyst

Garcia returns to Barça as a member of the ‘scouting’ team led by Domènec Torrent and Carles Planchart. He had previously worked for the scouting department during the 2010-11 season when he was commissioned to track Álexis Sánchez. He has coached Barça youth teams for years and has just returned to the club to join the technical analysis team. In the beginning of his coaching career, in 2002-03, Álex also worked with the spectacular generation of 87, including Cesc Fàbregas, Gerard Piqué, Leo Messi and co.

Eduard Pons, fitness coach

Edu Pons was previously the fitness coach for the FC Barcelona Juvenil A team. Before joining the blaugrana, Pons worked for Lleida, Nàstic, and Almeria.

José Ramon de la Fuente, goalkeeping coach

José Ramon de la Fuente played as a goalkeeper for Barça B in the 1994-95 season. He hung up his gloves at Écija in 2006, and began his coaching career there before going to Hércules (2008-09), Racing as assistant coach (2009-10), Nàstic (2010-11) and back to Hércules (2011-12).

Yon Alvarez, physiotherapist

Quotes from the press conference:

http://www.mundodeportivo.com/20120717/fc-barcelona/tito-vilanova-central-pivote-rueda-de-prensa-barca-fc-barcelona_54325712861.html



About Keita: It's not usual for a player to leave Barca, like Keita, who has provided us with four magnificent years. With him we covered two positions, as a pivote and midfielder; with Abidal, who turned sick, two others, as center-back and full-back. If we can find a player that can play center and full that would be perfect. If not,we will rely on the cantera.

About Javi: Javi Martinez suits centerback and defensive midfielder, but I will not talk about players right now. Everything will depend on the economic capacity of the club.

About a forward:My idea is that the investment of the club should be in the defense.

About Villa:I was very pleasantly surprised with David Villa. I had not seen him train since before the vacations and he has improved notably. We all want him to recover quickly because he will be very important this season. But I want him to take the appropriate time while recovering.

About Mourinho: It annoys me that we're still speaking about this a year after the fact. Judge Unico has imposed a sanction, the president of the Federation has decided to concede a measure of grace and I, as a football person, accept this. The punishment is not a game, two or five, the punishment are the images of that game that Mourinho and I will have to live with for many years to come. The sanctions are forgotten, the images are not.

About his relationship with Mou: We already greet each other when we meet each other in La Liga and we will do so again. I don't think we have a bad relationship.

About Alba: We are very happy, during the planning of the season we noted that he was a priority signing. It has been the correct decision. He's young and I understand that he wants to play at the Olympics and he wants to be there. What concerns me is if he will have enough days to rest. It's not the same to rest four weeks than eleven or twelve days.

About Deulofeu: He has a lot of potential. He's one of those players that draws attention, but he still has many things to improve and his place it at Barca B. He plays in a position where it's hard to find players from outside the club. If he continues his progress, the only place for him is up.

He also congratulated Messi for showing up on the first day of training, something that has not happened in 5 years, and has noted that he can be even better, like Cesc who had a great Eurocup. He has admitted that it's weird for him to be in Pep's office without him. He has revealed that he is planning a great speech for when the eurocup players return to training. He admitted that he counts with Afellay but that "during the pre-season we will see how he is and how he takes the minutes he gets". He has signaled that he's closely following the development of Bojan.

I think we're going to sign Sakho. Just because he's not been rumored around that much, he's definitely leaving PSG, and I expect Rosell to pull out a surprise.

Verm has already signed for Spurs, right?

I was a little confused about when he said: If we can find a player that can play center and full that would be perfect. If not,we will rely on the cantera.

Does that mean that if he doesn't find a player that can do both, he won't sign any CB at all or that he will sign a CB and rely on the cantera for the FB?

Sakho is a difficult and risky case in my opinion:

• He hasn't played for 9 months.
  
• He won't be cheap because he was the captain of PSG before Ancelotti arrived and I don't think he will request a transfer.
  
• Ancelotti said a couple of days ago he wants Sakho to stay and is counting on the Frenchman.

Not to mention he has not been ever been linked with Barcelona.

PS: Vermaelen signing for Spurs? I think you mean Vertonghen.

Oh I think I am too. My bad.

And he has been linked with Barca, although very briefly. But that's what I'm counting on. The Rosell surprise factor.

A few things.

Did you watch it live? I watched it live.

I'm pretty sure he said we are looking at players who can play centreback and pivot (not fullback). They then asked about Javi. He said that Javi fits the bill perfectly, but so do many other players. I think this would make sense because we have 4 fullbacks without Abidal, which is enough. His answers on Adriano weren't overly convincing though. However, I feel he'll be with us.

I think its pretty obvious the club is negotiating for Martinez... I guess for all that hope it doesn't happen, lets hope his price is too high. I think we should just sit and wait in the market... and hopefully the answer will reveal itself. Been chatting with people about Dede... very excited about his prospects, hope we make a bid.

He seems to back La Masia a lot. I thought Pep did too, but Pep was quite selective.

Finally, if someone could clarify this for me it would be great. I can understand Spanish alright, but Catalan... not really... I can pick up the general idea sometimes though. There was also English translation over the top, but it was very uncomprehensive. When he was talking about having to continually rejuvenate the squad and adapt, the translator said he said the 3-4-3 was a 'costly decision' (I think I heard this right... but I keep doubting myself). However, I interpreted it at the time that he was trying to say it was an important decision, or one with lots of value. Hopefully Free can clarify this for me... If he did say 'costly' this is good, because it would signify a movement away from it, but I doubt he would have made such a comment on it.

As far as I remember he said 'central y lateral' which means in centre and on the side(s).
Then I read on a website that he wanted a player who can play as a defender and midfielder.

PS: If you can link to the 3-4-3 part in YouTube I can translate it.

Kizz I translated the article on El Mundo Deportivo, where it says "lateral y central", but the title of the article is "a player that can play central and pivot", so I'm not sure which one was more trustworthy. I took the actual text over the title, since these are usually picked by the editor rather than the writer, but central and pivot would make the most sense.

The video of the press conference on MD is 40 minutes long, if you remember around when in the press conference I can double check.

Didn't watch the conference. They are re-broadcasting it on youtube at 19:45 I think. If I catch anything on the TV I'll let you know about the 343 thing.

The more i think about it the more i feel Martinez makes sense.

He played very well for Bilbao at CB last season, he's very good at bringing the ball out from the back and very good in the air.

And also why not lightening he's definitely quick enough to play back there.

Would be a good signing IMO.

Yes he would be. He would also be the most expensive CB in history if we bought him, and he most definitely isn't worth that. If we were going to spend 40M on a CB, might as well have purchased TS for 3M more.

Athletic are not a selling club, Javi doesn't particularly want to leave as he was quoted recently, so we must pay the buy-out clause.

Signing Martínez is paying too much for something not needed. Not saying he isn't worth €40 million but for Barça's needs that is too much. Not to mention he doesn't have the instinctive qualities of a top centre back and I personally don't see a Piqué-Martínez partnership forming a world class backline. I don't think they are very compatible.

Also I don't agree that defenders are not worth as much as strikers. Goalkeepers and defenders make as much difference for a team as strikers and midfielders. But people like to see goals and hence the bias but in footballing terms, they are as decisive as the rest of the squad in my opinion.

Long story short, if you spend €40 million for any player and you should expect a very special player. And Martínez is not that player when it comes to playing as CB. My gut says one of Arsenal centre backs would be best fit for Barcelona's problems and will arguably cost less than €40 million. I can't decide which one though. Based on recent performances, Koscielny but overall performance Vermaelen and the fact that he can play LB.

Jyllands-Posten (Danish newspaper) says Barca and Manchester City have joined Real in their pursuit of Agger, who is waiting on new contract talks with Reds chiefs.

Agger, Koscielny, Subotic, Sakho and Dede.

Thing is, Sakho and perhaps Dede aside.

All those choices would cost just as much as Martinez and it seems Finance is the main reason most of you are against it.

Koscielny, Agger and Subotic would all cost a king's ransom.

I mentioned the Martinez thing because he actually seems realistic and the type of player Tito wants.

Koscielny and Agger would probably be better signings, but how likely are they?

Not very IMO.

I doubt Koscielny, Agger and Subotic would be 40m. 20-25m max imo for them.